Quick vegetable pasta

This fresh-tasting vegetable pasta is ready in about 15 minutes and is perfect for a quick healthy lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 150g/5oz whole wheat pasta, such as spaghetti
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
• 1 courgette, trimmed and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
• 200g/7oz cherry tomatoes
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
• ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
• ½ small lemon, finely grated zest and juice
• 2 large handfuls young spinach leaves (around 75g/2½oz)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• grated Parmesan (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese), to serve (optional)

Method

1. Half-fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and return to the boil. Cook for 12 minutes, or until just tender, stirring occasionally.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pepper, courgette and whole tomatoes for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining oil and spring onions and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, stirring regularly. (The tomatoes need to be soft so they release their juice to make a light sauce to coat the pasta.)

3. Add the chilli flakes, lemon zest and juice and cook for a few seconds. Stir in 1 ladleful of the hot pasta cooking water and season with salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta then return to the saucepan and add the vegetables and spinach leaves. Toss together over a low heat for 1–2 minutes, or until the spinach softens and wilts. Divide between two shallow bowls and serve topped with grated Parmesan if you like.

Quick vegetable pasta